Question

Research Project

Each team will pick the company from the list below. Commentary and presentation will require the following research:

•  CEO leadership style, skills and attributes

•  Company’s culture

•  Assess the culture’s influence on the employees

•  Explain the organizational structure and effectiveness

•  Describe the values and expected behavior of all employees

•  Examine the criteria used for hiring

•  Assess the company’s global competitiveness

•  Identify and explain the pressures for change

•  Company’s approach to dealing with global opportunities and challenges

I have to do that with the Ikea Company - Jesper Brodin/Torbjorn Loof, but I need to answer this 2 questions:

1. In the last 10 years did the company change its strategy or modify existing strategy. If yes, what steps did CEO take to enable change.

2. Did the change require transformational or transitional leadership.

If you cant answer this can you at least tell me how to look for the answer?

Answer 1

1. IKEA is known globally for its low prices and innovatively designed furniture. In China, however, it faced peculiar problems. Its low-price strategy created confusion among aspirational Chinese consumers while local competitors copied its designs. IKEA identified the strategic challenges and made attempts to overcome them. One of the main problems for IKEA was that its prices, considered low in Europe and North America, were higher than the average in China. Prices of furniture made by local stores were lower as they had access to cheaper labour and raw materials, and because their design costs were usually nil. Since 2000, IKEA has cut its prices by more than 60 per cent. For instance, the price of its "Lack" table has dropped to 39 yuan (less than five euros at current exchange rates) from 120 yuan when IKEA first came to the Chinese market. The company plans to reduce prices further, helped by mass production and trimming supply chain costs. IKEA also had to tweak its marketing strategy. In most markets, the company uses its product catalogue as a major marketing tool. In China, however, the catalogue provided opportunities for competitors to imitate the company's products. Indeed, local competitors copied IKEA's designs and then offered similar products at lower prices. IKEA decided not to react, as it realised Chinese laws were not strong enough to deter such activities. Instead, the company is using Chinese social media and micro-blogging website Weibo to target the urban youth.
   
2. The CEO and the company, having transformative organisational culture and leadership in the organisation. IKEA’s influence the leadership within the contrasting organisations. The products of IKEA shall hold certain characteristics, such as the range of products, the profile of them, the function and quality, and the low prices. The Testament says that these values will never change, as this is the value that has built the framework that made IKEA a unique company.

I tried my best, but If you're not satisfied with the information provided you could further research about the CEO through google scholar articles, they can be your best friends throughout this research. If my suggestions help, please like this answer, this like really helps me. Thank you!